Ring Around the Rosie
by ALC Punk
Summary: Shatterstar gets beribboned.


Subject: [OTL]: [X-Force,Kitty,Rahne] Ring Around the Rosie (G)  
Date: Fri, 31 Dec 1999 08:35:40 -0800  
From: Ana Lyss   
  
Disclaimer: Sadly, most of these poor fools are owned  
by Marvel and treated accordingly. Or, something like  
that. No money being made, etc, etc...  
  
Notes: Imagine if you will, a world beyond sight and  
sound, a world where--whoa, CUT! Wrong track. Okay.  
Imagine that the entire X-clan is visiting the mansion  
for some inexplicable reason, and that this is also  
back when Excalibur were still together. Aaaaand,  
that's it.  
  
Dedication: To Pebsy, Sparky, Lynxie, Elihara, Samy  
and Heatherly. For being there and not telling me it  
was a stupid idea. And, especially to Elihara, since  
it was HER idea in the first place. Sorta. *g*  
  
Ring Around the Rosie  
by Ana Lyssie Cotton  
  
"You want to what?"  
  
"Shattybuns needs some loosening up."  
  
"And you think this will work?"  
  
"Something like that." Tabitha shrugged and winked  
conspiratorially at Jubilee. "It'll at least be a  
laugh."  
  
----  
  
When approached Kitty Pryde doubled over with  
laughter. Her boyfriend, Pete Wisdom, raised an  
eyebrow and muttered something about 'men sticking  
together' and high-tailed it away from the three  
giggling females.  
  
"So, who next?" Kitty asked as she wiped tears of  
laughter from her eyes.  
  
Tabitha eyed Jubilee, who eyed her back. They turned  
to Kitty and chorused, "Rahne."  
  
"Ah. That's why you asked me first." Kitty grinned  
evilly. "C'mon, I think I can convince Rahney for ya."  
  
----  
  
Rahne Sinclair was very resistant to the idea. At  
first. Even with Kitty prodding her about 'fun and  
games' and 'everyone needs a good laugh, sometimes'  
she didn't fold.  
  
And then Sam Guthrie wandered by and asked them what  
they were doing. He then proceeded to sputter with  
laughter. "Y'all are nuts. Y'all never be able to do  
it."  
  
"We'll see." Rahne said, her eyes flashing with a bit  
of the Scotch temper her adopted mother, Moira  
McTaggert could show.  
  
Jubilee silently high-fived Tabitha as Kitty patted  
Rahne's shoulder. "We'll show him, hon."  
  
"Aye."  
  
----  
  
"You realise she's, like, the most integral part of  
this."  
  
"We could get Jean to do it." Tabitha said,  
consideringly.  
  
Kitty and Rahne were off gathering the needed  
materials while they procured the last person needed  
for the... project.  
  
"But that wouldn't be half the fun!"  
  
"True."  
  
Jubilee smiled sweetly at Tabitha. "This is why you're  
asking her, right?"  
  
"Like, no."  
  
"But, but, you, duuuh, know her better than me."  
Jubilee snorted. "Ya know?"  
  
"Moral support, then." Tabitha conceded.  
  
"Right."  
  
The two skipped down the hall and chatted about things  
like malls, clothes, makeup... and video games.  
  
----  
  
Xi'an Coy Manh shifted slightly and into the next  
position of the dance. Her breath flowed in and out,  
even, measured. The concentration provided made the  
moves flow, one into the next into the next. Around  
her, other participants in the ancient art moved and  
stretched, doing their utmost to relax and, just, be.  
  
A disturbance on the edge of the crowd rippled in,  
like a stone dropped into a bucket of molasses. Two  
whispering young women were abruptly standing next to  
her. Giggling. Interrupting her concentration. She  
shifted and the spell broke, her breath came faster  
and more ragged and she glared at Tabitha and Jubilee  
as they each appropriated an arm and began dragging  
her back through the throng to the side.  
  
"What is the meaning of this?" She hissed, mildly  
annoyed at being pulled away from the session. The  
three had quickly cleared the mat and exited the  
Danger Room.  
  
"Well, we--Jubes and I--have, y'know, got an idea."  
  
"Oh?" Xi'an arched an eyebrow. "And what might this  
be?"  
  
A whispered and muttered explanation filled the  
hallway for a few minutes, then Xi'an blinked and  
rocked back on her feet. "You want me to--to... It's  
obscene!"  
  
"No, it isn't, it's just a bit of fun!" Jubilee  
protested.  
  
"A bit of fun?" Karma arched both eyebrows and  
snorted. "My dear Jubilation, if that's what you  
consider fun--"  
  
"But it is." Tabitha smirked. "C'mon, Xi'an, you know  
it will be."  
  
The Vietnamese girl looked wistfully back at the  
Danger Room door. The session would nearly be done,  
and she'd end up missing the last of it. She knew it.  
And it was all-- Her mind halted for a moment and her  
lips twitched. Shatterstar's fault, in the end. She  
turned back to Tabitha and smiled icily. "I'll do it."  
  
----  
  
When Shatterstar awoke from the mind-numbing daze, it  
was to find himself atop a chair, on the pool deck.  
Around him, standing at the four points of the  
compass, were Jubilee, Tabitha, Kitty and Rahne. Set  
back, lounging against one of the tables, stood Xi'an.  
  
Each of the four young women were holding a long piece  
of ribbon. The colours alternated from red to green.  
The ribbons, he quickly discovered, were tied in his  
hair. "Za's vid! What is the meaning of this?"  
  
"Ever played Ring Around the Rosie?" Jubilee asked him  
innocently.  
  
"No." He glared at them and attempted to move. And  
found he couldn't.  
  
Xi'an's quiet chuckle floated over to him.  
  
"I think we should start, ladies, don't you?" Tabitha  
grinned and glanced over Shatterstar's shoulder. "Hey,  
'Berto, you got the camera ready?"  
  
"Indeed." Came the reply.  
  
"Good." Jubilee raised her ribbon and began a sort of  
walking, skipping dance around 'Star, which the other  
three followed her into. Tabitha and Jubilee went  
clockwise round him while Rahne and Kitty went  
counter.  
  
"All around the mullberry bush, the monkey chased the  
weasel," Kitty began, her voice warbling slightly with  
suppressed laughter. The other women joined in,  
fighting their own laughter. "The monkey thought it  
was all in fun," Kitty ducked under, then held her  
ribbon up as Rahne imitated her and Jubilee and  
Tabitha did the opposite. "Pop! Goes the weasel. A  
penny for a spool of thread, a penny for a kneedle,"  
They were much closer in, Shatterstar nearly bound  
down to his knees in ribbons. "That's the way the  
money goes--Pop! Goes the weasel!"  
  
Tabitha stopped as she reached the end of her ribbon  
and 'Star's boots. "That it?" Assent came from the  
other three. "Good. Let's tie this off, get  
'Berto--'Berto, come get a frontal shot!"  
  
"As long as it isn't nudity," Jubilee quipped.  
  
"Nah, 'Star'd never strip." Tabitha looked up at the  
enraged Mojoworlder's face. "Would you?"  
  
An enraged gurgle was the only answer she had as Xi'an  
absently released control and he began attempting to  
break free of the ribbons.  
  
-Fin- 


End file.
